Ascension and Damnation
by nick2951
Summary: Mona has lost it all and decides to end it; but there are those who intervene and Mona will rise from the beyond to claw her way back to being A. Possible Rating change down the road. Post Season 3
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Pretty Little Liars

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

I was supposed to be "A" and the tormenter, not one of the little bitches who got what they deserved. Redcoat, who somehow was Allison, had now stolen the one thing that gave me purpose in life and she was playing for keeps. I knew that the game had changed but with what we discovered in the trunk a few days ago as well as the fire that almost killed me, it was more than I had ever imagined.

It had been several days since that night and my life continued it's downwards spiral. Thanks to Redcoat, I was on lockdown at home as well as school; my parent's patience finally exhausted after more than a few of my activities became known to them. While I had yet to be sent back to Radley, I was under constant supervision. Even my credit cards had been yanked in order to keep me in line.

School was a nightmare now with everyone keeping me beyond arm's length. Even the four little Plls wanted nothing to do with me; though they were happy with all of my information I provided in our one-sided alliance. It was now like when Allison was still in the halls with me the outcast nerd. Except everyone now knew I was insane.

I was alone and my hatred was no longer enough to sustain me.

As I looked at the bottle of pills and the tub full of water, I contemplated on what I was about to do. If I could not be in control, there was nothing more to live for; being A had given me purpose and provided a pleasure I lacked as a young child. If I could not have that, why should I stick around?

It was late at night and my parents were out on business. A new security system had been installed in order to keep an eye on me so sneaking out was out of the question. Not that I had anywhere to go since Redcoat or one of her little helpers burned my hideout to the ground.

Closing the door to my bathroom, I took off my shoes and gazed one last time at myself in the mirror. No makeup, my hair a mess, and nothing on but a simple white dress which I normally would have never been caught dead in; which was now ironic since I would now be caught dead in.

I had some fun with my suicide note though, leaving a long jumbled note cursing every last person I knew as well as some final revelations to sweetened things. There was nothing for my parents since I was a stranger to them for some time now. Ever since my incarceration at Radley, the vast wide gap had grown. Sometimes I wonder if there had been any love in the family and maybe I would have been different if there had.

Maybe Allison would not have affected me as she had; even be less crazy than I was.

Opening the bottle of pills stolen from Doctor Sullivan's office, I emptied the entire batch into my mouth and quickly washed them down with water from the sink. Dropping the bottle onto the white tiled floor, I stumbled to the claw foot tub that I had asked for my last birthday. The tub was one of the only things I had saved in my ascension from my former nerdy life and figured it fitting that I would die in something that I actually cherished.

The pills were really starting to affect me as I became more and more drowsy by the second. I had done my research and knew what exactly to take when I raided my former therapist's office. I barely notice the sting of the icy cold water as I collapsed into the tub and onto my back. My head was quickly submerged under and water filled my lungs as the darkness gripped me.

Then I blacked out.

**Author's Note: This fic is not mine per say and is more of a collaboration with someone I know. She is the PLL fan where I provide the more interesting parts of the fic, which will be dark and strictly a Mona-centered story. Updates will be sporadic and dependent on reviews, more for her per say than me.**

**Please R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

I woke to screaming and realized it was my own.

The pain was beyond imagination as every limb felt like it was on fire. I struggled to open my eyes and see what was going on.

To my horror, I was chained to a stone wall in a barely lit room. The chains themselves, glowing orange from being searing hot, were wrapped around my hands and feet. I was hanging at a downwards arc, making almost a perfect X. I could barely move my limbs which only added to my suffering as the chains burned into my flesh.

The room itself was barren and small. Everything was made of stone except for the metal door that was in front of me. There was a rancid smell that made me choke and I was horrified when I realized that it came from me. I violently heaved and looked down as blood erupted from my mouth and onto the floor.

I could only cry since I must be in Hell.

I have never been the religious sort; my brief time in Church was only to find a place to belong. Even then, nothing really grabbed me; especially that day Allison and Spencer sat across from me, mocking my singing. I never went back after that since it appeared that Allison could be everywhere. Apparently religion was right after all; or this is one twisted dream I cannot awake from.

I had no idea how long I hung on the wall; time seemed to have no influence here. I'd tried calling out for help but there was nothing. Other than myself, there was a silence that made things worse since I could not tell what was going on outside my door. Maybe I did not want to know since I could only imagine the horrors that might lie.

My state of attire would have been funny if it were not for the horrendous situation I was in. I was still dressed in the same simple white dress I died in which was now stained with blood and dirt. My flesh was cracked and my throat was dry from all of my screaming. I was so tired but the pain from the chains prevented me from sleeping.

In all the pain, there was an anger that had been smoldering for a while now. There was a certain injustice to all of this. There were a few times now when I screamed in rage since

I should not be here alone. Yeah I tormented people with their secrets and killed Ian; though he was trying to murder Spencer but every last person whom was my victim was guilty of far worse.

Each of those Liars and their friends were just as guilty as I was. They needed to be punished for their sins and I was the one who deserved to do it. I had even believed that Allison would have approved of what I was doing given their betrayal. Not one of them looked into her disappearance until I prodded them. It was only because of me that they had gotten as far as they did.

When each of them died, and their recklessness would be the result, I hoped they would end up exactly where I am now.

Eventually I passed out; which surprised me since I should not be able to since I was dead. When I woke up, I was unchained and spread out on the ground. The stone floor was unusually hard and scratchy which caused a searing pain to my already burnt flesh. I struggled for what I believe was a few minutes to finally get somewhat upright and noticed my hair.

It was a mix of flaky grey with some blackish to it. It was crusty and shriveled; almost if it was completely fake. As I handled it, I concluded that no amount of washing and combing could ever bring it back.

As I looked to the door, I noticed something lying on the ground in front of me. It was a mask; a familiar mask as well. It resembled the same mask I wore last Halloween when I crashed the Plls little bash. I grunted in pain as I reached for it and picked it up.

On the inside, it was marked "**Wear**" and nothing else.

Putting it on, I suddenly saw a single marked red arrow on the ground that was not there before. It pointed at the metal door and I did my best to crawl towards it since standing was just too painful. Using every ounce of strength I could muster, I pushed metal door and it slid open with a slight creak.

There was a narrow hallway just outside my cell, barely lit and nothing but stone. I crawled out and found another red arrow pointed into the darkness down the hall. On all fours, I followed the signs slowly and caught my breath when I needed it. My limbs ached as I moved along the stony ground and did my best to ignore it. My burnt flesh still felt it was on fire though and I would wince at the sharp pain.

Along the way, I passed numerous doors like mine and I was afraid what I would find inside. I pressed on though, until I heard something moving in the darkness. They were footsteps and seemed to be getting louder, indicating that they were coming towards me. I was about to scramble back when I noticed a single set of words on the wall beside me.

**Stay Still and Out of the Way.**

I took the order to heart and hugged the wall as much as I could. I folded my body in a fetal position. As the steps became louder and louder, I dared myself to look and stifled the scream that was at my lips when it came into view.

It was a mixture of a lizard and a ram. The body was serpent-like while the head was like that Ram; horns and all. Its claws looked like it could peel anything, especially flesh, and the horns seemed to be covered in blood. It was dressed in pieces of skin that still dripped blood. The smell was revolting and it took all that I can not to gag. In its hands was a large knife that resembled one for cutting meat.

The thing walked past me as if it could not detect my presence as I tried to keep away from it. By luck, the hall was just wide enough for me to accomplish that feat. I waited a good while until the thing disappeared and the red arrows appeared again.

I struggled to stand up and eventually made it, continuing to hug the wall and ignore the pain coming from my legs. I had no idea how long I limped, it felt like hours, and I eventually came to three separate paths. The red arrows told me to go right and I did, noticing that the hallway was starting to become more illuminate. Soon, there seemed to be a bright light ahead and I struggle to quicken my pace.

Then I reached the end, and exhaled in shock as I came to a balcony overlooking a vast chasm.

The area where I emerged seemed to be on the side of a cliff though it appeared more like the side of a castle than anything else. The chasm I was overlooking pitch black and looked endless. What surprised me was that looking up; I saw sky which was nothing but black clouds. The air smelled of death and decay, there was also a slight breeze in the air that chilled me and caused the ache in my limbs to rise.

It was the silence that I found most disturbing; complete and total lack of sound.

There was nowhere to go and I wondered if I was lead into a trap. That thing I saw earlier might head back this way and there was no place to hide from it seeing how the balcony was not big enough for two. I was about to panic when the words appeared again and I stared at them in disbelief.

**Go Over The Ledge.**

"You have to be kidding me," I said looking straight down. All I could see is pure darkness and I was not about to leap into the unknown.

**Go Now or Be Trapped, Forever!**

I did not want to back to the cell and falling to my death was impossible since I was already dead. I had no idea where my liberator was leading me and there was the possibility that it was somewhere worse. But staying where in my current location was also out of the question since I did not want to spend eternity on some balcony overlooking darkness.

So in the end I decided to take a leap of faith and do as instructed. Mustering my strength, I climbed onto the ledge of the balcony and was thankful that it was not too tall; it was up to my stomach. Sitting on the ledge with my feet dangling, I took a deep breath and pushed my arms forward; falling feet first into the darkness.

While I felt I was falling, I was surprised in the lack air flow that would normally happen when one falls. I felt and heard nothing as I plunged through the darkness. I looked around constantly hoping to catch a glimpse of something but it was to no avail. All there could be seen was an endless darkness.

I had no idea how long I spent falling into the abyss. I knew it was for a while now and was once again astounded on how something could be this deep. It was then that I began to think about my mistakes and how they lead me here. Falling like this provided an excellent time to ponder the past when I was alive.

I should never had taken Redcoat's offer for a partnership; I should have told the bitch that I was A and the only one who could be A. Sure she would have been angry and possibly murdered me; after all she knew more about me than I knew about her. However, I could have fought back or at least have brought her down with me. If Redcoat was really Allison, then she would have just as many enemies as I did. Who knows how many would go after her if they knew she was alive; hell Melissa alone would be more than enough.

I would also never feel guilty about what I did to Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily. They lied to hide their sins, did nothing to stop Allison, and covered up the crimes of others. What I did might have been just as worse but I was clinically insane; what was their excuse? All they had to do was to just stop lying and tell the truth; but they were incapable of that and only dug their own graves.

After all, I had only started with a few of their secrets; who knew that they would provide me with so much more than what was in Allison's diaries.

I should have started over. It was my intelligence and skills that made me A and they would have been more than enough to help me reclaim my rightful title. I would have hunted down every one of Redcoat's proxies and dealt with them one by one. I had some clue on the identities of a few of them and it would have been fun using their secrets against them.

And if that did not work, I would just do to them as I did to Ian.

There was a glowing light that suddenly appeared from beneath me and I looked down. As it got closer, I could only stare in horror as I approached a vast sea of molten fire. I screamed as I got closer and looked around in vain to find some sort of object to grab onto. However, there was nothing but darkness and I cried out as I slammed into the lake feet first.

I was on fire and molten magma flooded into my mouth, causing me to choke. Despite the intense burning, I could still move around and I struggled to swim to the surface. I grasped for breath as I broke the surface, which did not matter since I didn't really need to breathe, and looked around to see if there was anywhere to get out of the hell I was in.

The pain I was in was beyond imaginable and if I had been alive, there was no doubt that I would have long been burnt to a cinder let alone stayed coherent. It was now obvious that this was some sort of trap and I would be here for eternity; which caused me all sorts of anguish.

After a while of screaming in pain and choking on the liquid fire, I was about to pass out when my hand felt something solid and cool to the touch. I looked to see a small area of stone right next to me which was big enough for me and possibly a few more people; if there were anyone else that is. Using every last ounce of strength, I climbed onto the stone flooring and rolled onto my back; staring up at the darkness.

After a while, I decided to look at my skin and saw nothing but burnt flesh; strangely my dress was still intact including the mask I still wore on my face though it felt that it matched the rest of my flesh. I looked like Anakin Skywalker did from Star Wars Episode 3 and I gagged at the smell. Which was funny since a living person would have lost all sense of smell with the nose being burned off.

I sat up and looked around, seeing nothing but fire and darkness. It seemed that I went from one prison to another since there was no way I was going back in in order to find land. I was trapped here; possibly forever.

I suddenly felt something hot brush the back of me and I whipped my head around to see a single piece of chain hanging in front of me. It glowed orange and rose into the darkness above. There was an urge to grab it and I hesitated since I did not know what would happen if I did; besides burning my already charred hand. I then noticed the words that floated in the air in front of me.

**Hold Tight and Do Not Let Go.**

"Really?" was all that I could say sarcastically as I stared at the words wonderment. I was also amazed I still had a voice despite my insides on fire.

Taking a deep breath and anticipating the intense pain I was about to feel, I used both hands to grab the chain. The second I did so, I was yanked from the ground and into the darkness so hard that I nearly lost my grip. Unlike the fall into the lake of fire, I felt the air shift as I rose thru the darkness. My hands were on fire and I whimpered from the pain. I prayed that it would be over soon since time seemed to go by slowly.

As if they were answered, a sudden light from above caught my attention as it appeared I was nearing my destination. As the light got bigger, I could hear voices in the darkness that seemed to be both male and female. I tried to make out what they were saying and the most I could get was they were talking about some patient in a hospital.

Whoever they were talking about seemed to not have much hope of recovery. One person mentioned that the patient was brain dead while another indicated that there was a chance of the person waking up. There were questions about scarring that person had on their body as well as burn marks on the arms and wrists. My curiosity arose on whom they were talking about as I entered the light.

As the light engulfed me and I awoke to startled Doctors, I realized that the patient they were talking about was me.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

I was clinically dead for ten minutes.

At least that is what the doctors told me as they did every test imaginable to determine why I was still conscious. By simple logic, I should be brain dead and in a coma; not awake and fully aware of my surroundings. The only reason the paramedics even bothered to resuscitate me was because the servant who found me was terrified of my parents and thus begged for the paramedics to do something.

The Vanderwaals are a feared name on the East Coast. Politicians and business leaders have been brought down by my family for simply angering them. It is an old family with connections going all the way from Europe to China. Which is why I never took Hanna's threat to out me as the one whom almost killed her all those years ago; my family would just bury the whole thing.

Plus it would be mutually assured destruction; I would just let the authorities know about Ashley Marin's embezzlement.

The twelve hours after I became conscious were quite eventful. My parents, actually concerned about what I did, swooned over me while threatening to sue the hospital for negligence. They were angry, but thankfully not at me for the time being. After a week on the ventilator, they were ready to pull the plug on the doctor's advice; I was a lost cause apparently.

In the end, the doctors could not explain anything; especially the new problems with my body.

First off was the damage in my eyes which prevented me from wearing contacts. As a result, I was once again forced to wear the nerdy glasses that got me teased before Alison disappeared. My lungs were mysteriously scarred which affected my breathing, I now had to use an inhaler like people with asthma. The last thing was the most annoying; I could no long walk correctly and thus had to use a cane.

My intelligence remained unaffected as well as my other skills though which made up for it a little. All my new deformities were physical but possibly temporary for the time being. At least that is what the doctors keep telling me.

The rest of the week remained uneventful during my stay at the hospital. Doctor Sullivan came to visit me daily for treatment. My parents also visited my when they were not busy; it was tense but pleasant for the first time in years. We politely conversed while they gave me my schoolwork and they informed me that the school was accommodating my absence. Officially, I was in an accident which suited me just fine; no need for those bitches to find out about my suicide attempt.

A probably already knew; that bitch knows everything.

There were no messages which puzzled me greatly. I expected A to rub my face in my failed attempt at death. There was a possibility that she was giving me a slight reprieve but that thought was almost laughable. No there was a serious chance that something big was being planned for me which caused me to stay on my toes.

I told Doctor Sullivan about my trip to Hell. She said that it was not real and that the stress on my brain from the suicide attempt caused me to experience something that was not real. Of course I laughed in her face which prompted her to prescribe more medication. I though refused to take any more on the grounds that I needed my full wits.

This lead to a nasty confrontation which resulted in having Sullivan quit being my therapist. I was not too sad by that fact; if I could get to her then it would be no problem for Redcoat to do the same thing. There was also the fact that the woman was a friend of the liars and a possible spy for them.

They were my enemies and there could be no reconciliation now. I had offered my hand as an equal and they refused; regulating me to being subordinate to them. Well I was smarter than all of them and thus they were now on their own. My genius is for my benefit only.

Once Redcoat was dealt with, they would be next.

It would take time of course given my lack of mobility and resources. My lair was gone and with it all the evidence I had against anyone. Though I had Allison's diaries, they provided very little into what I needed to know about my enemy. I had always believed Allison to be dead but with the chance she was now alive, there was the possibility that those diaries were compromised; or at the very least, useless in relation to that night.

I would have to start at the beginning: Observe, stay silent, and listen.

After two and half weeks of being in the hospital, I was released and brought home. My parents threw a family gathering in my honor and restored all of my privileges; which suited me quite fine. My crippled state would make it appear that I am no longer able to do my naughty deeds which would work to my advantage.

My room was different than as I left it; even perfectly spotless including the bathroom. My room had always been cluttered with clothes, books, and computer parts. It was not a complete mess like Hanna's bedroom, but more organized to how I wanted it. In my absence, it was even more organized though it appeared that no one went through anything. Not that it would have mattered given that everything that mattered was hidden.

The tub was still there which surprised me; I would have figured it would have been gone before I arrived home. However, my parents had let me keep it; they even had padding installed around the edges as well as rails to help me in and out. It truly touched me that they still cared.

Using the cane was more work that I thought, especially going up the stairs. While I had servants to help me at home, school would be problematic; I was on my own there and slightly vulnerable. Though if anything happened to me there would be hell to pay.

Speaking of Hell, I was still unsure about how I was able to escape. Given my current state, I believed that everything that happened to me was real and that made me curious more than anything. As I lay on my bed after turning in for the night, I pulled out my new iPad and began researching. There tons of material on the place, but I was clueless on who could have helped me out.

It was something that began to bother me; why was I so special that one would help me break out in the first place? I would have to go to the city at some point. Though I never got into it, I knew there were tons of occult book shops in Philadelphia. Maybe when things were quieted down, I would plan a shopping trip.

I slept badly because my mind was in such a rush; from my mysterious savior to Redcoat, I was not ready to go to school. However, with graduation only a few months away, I could not afford to miss any more days despite my stellar grades. I have missed more school than anyone in Rosewood High's history but was still leaving at the top of the class.

I got up that morning at 6 am to make myself ready for school. After using the bathroom, I took a bath and then picked out my clothes. I went with a pink skirt that went to my knees with a blue blouse that did not appear too revealing. Getting dressed was a bit pain and I had to have a servant help along with the hair which was wrapped in a bun.

Breakfast with my mother, father always left earlier, was not too tense for once. We exchanged pleasantries and ate our oatmeal before my mother left for the office. Before giving me a peck on the forehead, she told me to make sure I took my medication. I nodded in understanding and she then left. After I was done with my food, I grabbed my backpack, slung in over my shoulder, and headed out.

The day was nice and warm, making happy that I picked the skirt. Due to the large prescription glasses that I had to wear, I could not put as much makeup as I did before. I did however opt for the lipstick that Allison liked to wear.

As instructed, my driver brought me to school a half an hour early. Helping me out of the black sedan, I limped with my backpack towards the school. Students were starting to head in and most glanced my way, but interesting enough they were actually pleasant in their greetings. That puzzled me since the last time I was at school, there were whispers and snickering.

Shrugging my shoulders, made my way inside and headed towards the principal's office.

"Ms. Vanderwaal, it is good to see you," said the Principal as he greeted me in the hallway. I nodded in return and gave the fakest pleasant smile that I could.

"I have been in regular contact with your parents and I am sorry to hear of your accident. I am impressed that you have managed to catch up with everything you have missed and your teachers have given you good marks for your work."

"Thank you sir," I said with a fake smile.

"Hopefully everything will go smoothly the rest of the year," stated the principal with a tone that indicated that this would be it for until graduation for drama by me.

"Of course sir; I look forward to putting on that cap and gown so I can head towards my promising future."

I then left him and made my way to my locker.

As the hallway began to fill, my fellow students were polite enough to give me some space as I limped along with my cane. I saw a few familiar faces and greetings were exchanged. Interesting enough, I had yet to see any of the Liars or their significant others. That perked my curiosity more than ever.

Making it to my locker, I opened it up and expected some sort of surprise by A. There was nothing and everything inside looked untouched. I would have at least expected one of the girls to trifle through my things, looking for something. The calmness made me wonder if the storm was emanate and hit me when I at least expected.

I was however a paranoid schizophrenic; I always expected something.

Grabbing my books for my first class, I had to lean against the locker in order to put them in my bag. I could stand up just fine, but I could swear there was a slight pain when I did. The physical therapist said it was a phantom pain that only existed in my head and that it would dissipate over time. When I was finished, I closed my locker and headed towards my first class.

Still no Liars; now something had to be up.

Then I saw it; the room that housed the class newspaper was all taped up and looked charred from a fire. Curious, I limped my way over to get a closer look. By the looks of it, the fire had occurred from the inside and there was extensive damage on what little I could see of the inside. I wondered if it had been an accident or deliberate.

"What happened?" I asked a female student as she passed by.

"I guess you wouldn't know; one of the freshmen wrote an editorial on Allison DiLaurentis and argued that she had been a bully who did not deserve to be remembered the way that she had. Apparently, that did not sit well with her former friends who supposedly burnt down the class newspaper room in revenge," stated the girl.

"Really?" I said with wonderment.

"Yeah; they denied it but they were caught on camera breaking into the school just before the fire happened. They have been suspended for a few days though their parents are fighting it due to lack of proof."

I chucked to myself as I let her go to her class. It seemed A had set the girls up and they had walked into her trap. It was a pattern that I thought they would have learned by now; but sadly they could not seem to grasp the concept of looking before you leap. I needed to read that article and find that freshmen.

Walking into my English class, I got a brief nod of greeting from Mr. Fitz though he had to do a double take due to my new look. Despite my history with the girls, he had at least acted professionally towards me. Aria never told him about what happened with his son so there was no hostility; though Spencer had more of a role in that kidnapping than me. Smirking at the empty seats as class started, I got out my things as class started.

Class went off without a hitch as did most of the day. Making my way into the library during lunch, I limped over to where the class newspapers were kept. As expected there were a good number of copies left so I flipped thru the various editions in order to find the editorial. After a minute, I found what I was looking for and made my way to one of the unoccupied tables. Sitting down and putting my stuff on the table, I began to read.

And bit by bit, an idea formed in my head; a way to get back into the game.

**Please R&R!**


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